Aiko starts us off bouncy and strong. Jerry sounds upbeat and talkative on guitar. Brent's organ sounds warm and punchy. Phil is rambling and rumbling all over this two-chord jam keeping it light and dance-y while holding down the low end. The drummers are aggressive but not fighting each other or the groove. Brent takes a turn soloing on his organ and we're in for a treat as he stabs the air with positively electric fills from his B-3. Jerry and Brent are off to a raucous start with their call and response vocals as the song closes. Not to be outdone, Bobby's Little Red Rooster is as smoldering hot as Jerry's Aiko was frenetic fun. Jerry takes on the sideman role here with his beautiful slide playing as Bobby tells the story of horny 'ole rooster. Brent's church organ burbles in the background as Phil and the drummers lay back and serve the song. Brent takes the second solo, He starts slowly playing with simmering heat quickly building to a crescendo before handing off to Bobby's slide solo, which is less polished than Jerry but does a good job conveying the raw energy of the song's sexual overtones. Jerry finishes up with his own throbbing solo before dropping back into the verse of the song, the notes bouncing off the walls of this old hockey rink and delivering the perfect natural echo to round out this bluesy jam. Dire Wolf is punchy and well-played. Jerry's voice sounds a little gruffer than on Aiko but loosens a bit as he goes along. Bobby is singing along and everybody sounds like they are having a good time. Jerry breaks off a crisp solo nailing every note before diving into the next verse. They sound solid and professional. And just like that it's over. Up next, It's All Over Now. Man, they are cruising! The tempo is up, They sound tight. Purposeful. Focused. Everyone is serving the song, listening to each other. No mistakes, no wasted notes. Brent takes a badass, wordless vocal adlib solo before tossing off a blinding keyboard solo on his Hammond. Jerry takes the handoff and solos a bit before handing off to Bobby who turns in a quieter than the rest of the band and kinda meh slide solo. Final verse and we're done. We're sweaty by now. I remember I was dancing in the penalty box, Phil side, and I had it all to myself, So plenty of space for dancing! Okay, We Can Run is pretty dated as I listen in 2021 and wasn't a super fun song (what with it's topic and all), but this is a pretty good version. The band seems to actually be playing with some passion so it comes off pretty well. Back to the fun, Brown Eyed Women keeps up the show's buoyant energy with a scholarly reading of this '70s classic . Jerry nails all the lyrics with only one tiny stumble, and Brent is supporting him all the way with sweet backup vocals to really outline the tunes many charms. Bobby delivers a lovely rendition of Dylan's Queen Jane Approximately. I feel like the boys almost always do a good job with this one, taking their time and building to a high tension release as Jerry's guitar spirals higher and higher with each verse. This one is no different. Jerry teases the TJed riff and the crowd signals its approval. Here we go! The drummers set the pace with a laid-back yet confident groove and Brent joins in with all the honky tonk-ish Southern boogie the song requires. Jerry is in fine voice for 1989. You can hear the years of cigarettes in his voice but he still delivers great performances due to his ability to get inside songs and sing them with authenticity. The band is playing great. Very tight and composed. It's a loose song, but everything has to be just so, in a way, for it to work. It's working! The final two minutes are just a clinic in fine musicianship and the gestalt that happens when players listen to each other and play WITH each other rather than just AT each other. MNS is a jam. They boldly plough through the verses at hi speed, racing to get to the jam quickly. Once they blast off for the jam Jerry is effusive and articulate. He has something to say. The notes cascade down in sheets. It's pretty and energetic and danceable. We all dance. This is a great first set. Thanks guys. Shakedown opens the second set and gets off to a roaring start. Phil is significantly louder now. His bass is driving and swings with rhythmic propulsion. The drummers are steady and playing as one, making a bed for everyone else to lie in. During the verses the band is composed and plays with purpose. The jam is lively and nimble. This is a team sport. No one wants to drop the ball. They move forward together through sonic space as some sort of musical Rube Goldberg device, each player taking a turn in moving the energy forward. After roughly eleven minutes they settle down and land the song gently yet authoritatively. Without hesitation Bobby jumps up and leads the guys through a festive Man Smart that continues the spirited mood of Shakedown. Not previously known for being tight or well-rehearsed, this is "professional" Grateful Dead. This incarnation of the band can turn in polished performances commensurate with their experience, and when they do it it's a sound to behold. Foolish Heart is strident and glides along innocently enough. It's dashing pace and spritely tune driving us to dance even if we're not sure how we feel about this "new" song. It's certainly well played. Brent gets off on it, tossing out a rollicking bit of playing near the song's end that seems purposeful and keeps the party going so we go with it. Drums and Space. Trips are for kids! Okay...My favorite song out of space is probably The Wheel. It's so perfect for bringing you out of the relative weirdness and confusion of Space. This one goes pretty directly into the song, but I really like it when Jerry spools it out in long glissandos of reeling, rhyming licks hinting around the theme but never quite playing it directly. That said, this version is solid. It's not overly precious or delicate and it delivers just enough thunder to set us up for an epic Dear Mr. Fantasy/ Hey Jude (Reprise) that had me singing along at the top of my lungs. At this point they had us in the palm of their hands. Perched on the second level, engulfed in a sea of humanity, I looked down and could feel the entire arenas' heart beat as one. Around and Around is chipper and keeps us dancing some more. GDTRFB is fraking marvelous. Brent's organ chortles and chugs. By turns churchy and greasy, his organ grunts its way through this traditional lament. Jerry's runs are also solidly soulful and sunny on this mournful ballad about bad times. The Lovelight is absolutely bumping. Just wall-to-wall good vibes. Finally, it's Baby Blue as the Sunday night closer and it feels like an appropriate choice. Of course, nothing is what it seems so the drummers step on each other a bit: Jer flubs a line. But, overall, ya know, it's pretty good. We walk out into the cool Pittsburgh night knowing we all had a real good time.

Giving this show a "B-"??? Dude you don't actually care about the show, just your stupid as hell review. "from today's remove this show is probably the best of this tour" - this was well-known in 1989 to be one of the if not the best show of the tour. Really! The first set is above average before We Can Run, didn't bother to mention the hot TN Jed. The Shakedown "pulls into a fine jam"?? Are you fking serious?? It tore the roof off the building you idiot. It's true, Hey Jude is sloppy, it usually was! I doubt they ever rehearsed it. Just stop with your back-patting reviews, seriously

I did shows in April - but not these, and the word was that it was ninety degrees inside, over-packed, and with a sour mood in the air. There was gatecrashing, injuries, and that this was starting to occur alarmed pre-touch Heads and the band alike. Newcomers didn't seem to sense the difference (though they were not to blame for the narcs that showed up in the lots and the police presence on all roads going out). The thing is, dark clouds reached the band onstage. That said, from today's remove this show is probably the best of this tour. One reason GDP officially released this show was because no great copies were in circ, which is odd for '89. Didn't the Help>Slip>Franks soundcheck used to circ? Seems to be missing.

First Set. The good Iko is an auspicious start. Right away it becomes a Brent show and stays so. Both "All Over Nows" are played - wonder how many of these shows there are. It's otherwise an average set until We Can Run. Whether or not this excites, it's actually one of the best versions (and the 5th one). This sets up for a tight and brisk Brown Eyed Women that's one of the year's best (along with 10/26). Queen Jane is nicely uptempo and a solid Music Never Stopped leaves 'em happy.

Second Set. Shakedown Street pulls into a fine jam. This was a great era for Dewiminna and also for Foolish Heart, which Jer was really into at the time. Drums>Space are way above average. But after these it turns into drummer soup. This gets progressively worse by Hey Jude. Ouch. Around & Around bottoms out and then Jer pulls a rabbit out of a hat. In classic dead magic Goin' Down the Road is one of the best versions of the late '80s! Lovelight then thrives from the energy.

1st Set:  B-
2nd Set: B-
Overall = 3½ stars

Highlights:
Brown Eyed Women - tight and brisk
Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad - a stellar version
Lovelight - takes advantage of x-factor

SOURCES: The first half of the 2nd set is usually up on YouTube, in iffy quality. Other than the official release, the matrix_mattman sounds best, though it has a couple edits in Drums, missing a minute and a half, and one @3:15 in Space missing almost a minute. The pasternak_89780 is a great AUD. Most of the rest run too fast.

I sang a little while and then flew on.

it was a hometown show fer me and a smoker at that but then again most were in the burgh. not really sure what went on outside heard conflicting reports. some said an arena worker was popping the door for $20 then said no more others say it was the Deadheads not sure. got on the news though the next year before the 3 Rivers show WTAE caught us in the lot the day before looking for tix at the box office. Oh well all the same I agree best show on the tour though 2nd Greensboro was close

Overall: it's unfortunate that none of the four versions of this show are very high quality, recording-wise. This show just smokes. One of the best of this tour, if not the best.

The scene: We got into the parking lot and the vibe in the bus should have let us know what we were in store for. Me and Larry had a blow-up about nothing. The whole lot vibe was really tense. I was in the hallway by the speakers during the first set and I saw someone popping a door open to allow some people in. Bad news. Next thing you know, it gets popped open once more and more than a dozen people push through before security shows up. Next thing you know, the glass doors are being busted in and over a hunder assholes are streaming in - while I'm pinned against the wall in horror at what my brothers and sisters are doing. And the worst part is that people inside were actually cheering for this. Later I found out that Chard wound up in the hospital after a vial of liquid broke in his pocket. His parents had to come down and he missed the rest of the tour. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. What a great show musically, but what a disaster in every other respect.

The music: damn, this is a fine fine show musically. Great song selection and fantastic, energetic playing. I'm not even going to point out any highlights - it's all good.

Go get it.

it takes 30 secs to kick in just like this matrix does.

I've never heard pittsburgh called the armpit of america before...

The Deads popularity was so huge at the time- Jerry had become a Divine Icon. Stadium shows would have worked best. Or big fields where the masses of followers could have gathered by the 100's of thousands. When 30 to 40 thousand show up for an arena that holds 20 or so-not good. And it was there furthest east coast show? My friend who didnt have a ticket said There were organized gatherings at the top of the hill-when they managed to gather a couple hundred people Some head blew trumphet call through his sea shell and the masses would charge 10 ft glass window part of the stadium(the exit doors were there too-but didnt open in time) I felt bad for the first wave of people -they got bloodied up pretty good. I'm just glad I was able to pay cash for a ticket-not blood

The sound's pretty good, but we're spoiled by the wealth of superior bootlegs. If it were any other band's bootleg I'd probably rate it a little higher. Definitely worth grabbing from the server.

right at the begining of space, jer echo's the begining note to St. Stephen.

Nice show

Thankfully, I was hanging out with my ex-wife at her place in O'Hara Township and missed this one. I heard a couple days later about all the nightmares with the heat, etc.. We'd just come from Lake Geneva, Wisc. (or was it Riverbend?) show and I was beat anyway. After Alpine Valley and all that, it was nice to be with someone I liked.

Good for you, Dan! Yelling at the "security" guys. Somebody with a flashlight should.

P@N

hey now- hey now. this is so cool- free show. Jerry would aprove.

Well, in response to the question asked down below, I didn't get a disease from the chick I banged in my tent in the parking lot.

This show's sound quality improves throughout Iko. It's heavy on the AUD portion of the Matrix mix until about 2 minutes into IKO. I have a feeling that the reviewer who said it sounds like shit didn't get past the first minute or two. Is it an amazing Matrix? No, but it definetley sounds better than an AUD version would have by worlds!! All the instruments are audible and Jerry sounds really energetic vocally!
The crowd is loving life!!
I woulda been too.
Shakedown is short but sweet.
3 stars more for sound than performance. 4 star performance, 3- star sound.

Riots ... cops ... gate-crashers ... what bad thing DIDN'T happen at these shows?

The 1st night of this run was a monster (2nd nite also good, but totally different vibe, much more mellow). Lots of hot jams throughout, and Shakedown is a real monster. Especially nice is the really good 2nd half of the 2nd set ... this is often a weak point in shows from this era, but not this puppy.

Well guys I wasn't there. But what I will say is that this show has highlights all over the place. The shakedown and the dear mr. fantasy and the transition from the gdtrfb to the around and around are out of this world. I could go on and on about my favorite show from the 80's but I won't. A Must Have!!!

this sounds like shit. dont download it unless you dont care about sound quality.

On the 2nd, the only riot was the one I was having dancing my ass off at this high energy affair...what a blast...SHAKEDOWN...holy shit, batman...I loved it when, at the end of Women Are Smarter, when Bobby brought it down real low, and Jerry started strummin' Foolish Heart before Bobby could slam the Women Are Smarter home...Jerry just looked at him and shrugged with a shit eatin' grin on his face...Jerry was having a blast this night...hell, this whole tour...

This was the night of the riot...a very ugly and cold night that was made worse by the fact that I got shut out of the show. And it was a good one...better than the next night which I did get into.

Interesting dichotomy of scene/vibe b/w these and the next shows I got to at the Mecca...which were both so pleasant.

Anyway, good show.

This was a weird night, fer sure. The 1st set was upbeat, kinda felt like a sing along. some guy got all excited over his "1st BE Women" that he hugged me and gave me this huge crystal. The 2nd set rocked, They put the pedal down on Shakedown and didn't slow down until Baby Blue. The GDTRFB>Lovelight had us all dancin' in the aisles. The GD at their rockin' best, not alot of space just straight forward R & R.

These where weird times in the middle of America. I can't remember if this was the riot show or not, it was a long time ago, but I do remember that night the tension mounting with the staff inside. I was standing near the sound board between sets when a security guy started fucking with people. Eventually Healy lost it on him, pointing his flashlight at him saying, "The next one out of here is going to be you if you don't cut the shit" I mean busting people for just listening to music, it ain't right. Great show, get it, I give 4.5 stars but since someone gave the next night a 5 and this night was clearly superior I'll give it a 5. Let it Shine!

bad scene in the armpit of amerika. not
much to say other than the beginning of the end?
riot police on horses, people gate crashing,
fodder for the 6 & 11 anchorperson, while
mom's back in canada worried how her "blue-
eyed boy" is doing on tour. ugly, the beginning
of the end for me. . .

damn fine show.....wish we all had a better quality rec. but this one is better than the 3 disc package i got in 98' for like $70.00. ooooh man when i got home and found out i paid 70 bucks on a rec. that sounded like i was playing it on a victrola, i deffinately felt cornholed!